Contents

Development

The emblem of 2010 Winter Olympics, "Ilanaaq the Inukshuk", was picked through an open contest. However, it met criticism from some aboriginal groups over its design.[2] So the mascot artist was selected through a competition.[3][4][5]

Through the process where 177 professionals around the world were submitted their ideas, five were made final. In December 2006, VANOC eventually selected concepts from Meomi Design.[6][7] Formed in 2002, Meomi is a group of Vicki Wong, a Vancouver-born Canadian of Chinese descent who worked in graphic and web design, and Michael Murphy, born in Milford, Michigan,[8] who worked in design and motion graphics.[9] Writing for Sports Illustrated, experts Michael Erdmann and John Ryan, while making comments on the mascots of the Olympic Games held in Canada, pointed out that Meomi's character drawing styles "are more closely related to Urban Vinyl [...]".[10]

After the selection, Meomi provided more than 20 different concepts to VANOC, and three concepts were selected.[11] The conception of the mascots were based on the local wildlife, as well as First Nations legends, mythologies and legendary creatures. During the design process, an early name for Quatchi was dismissed when the undisclosed word was found to have a rude connotation in another language.[11] An animated video by Buck, a design studio based in New York and Los Angeles, with music provided by Kid Koala was screened on the first public presentation of the mascots.[12][13] Details about mascots were kept secret until November 27, 2007 when they were unveiled to the public.[14]

Mascots

The first public presentation of the mascots took place before 800 schoolchildren at the Bell Centre For Performing Arts in Surrey, British Columbia. This represents the first time that the Olympic and Paralympic mascots were introduced at the same time.

A mythical sea bear, part killer whale and part Kermode bear living off the coast of Vancouver Island. She loves surfing in the summer, especially in Tofino, and snowboarding in the winter. The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia. According to First Nations’ legend, Kermode bears – also known as Spirit Bears – were turned white by Raven to remind people of the Ice Age. Orcas are also honoured in the art and stories of West Coast First Nations, as travellers and guardians of the sea.

A sasquatch. He comes from the mysterious forests of Canada, wears blue earmuffs, and dreams of being a hockeygoalie. He loves to travel and learn about the regional dances and cuisines of every place he visits. He carries his camera around his neck wherever he goes. His name comes from "sasquatch", itself a word coined by J. W. Burns from the Halkomelem word sásq’ets (IPA: [ˈsæsqʼəts]).[15][16] The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds the people of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting their imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness.

An animal guardian spirit with the wings of the Thunderbird and legs of an American black bear who wears a killer whale-like hat in an artistic style of Haida people. He lives in the mountains of British Columbia and is a passionate environmentalist. His name comes from the Salish word "sumesh," meaning "guardian spirit." His favorite sport is alpine skiing in monoski. Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world. Revered animals, such as the orca whale, the bear and the thunderbird, are depicted in transformation through masks, totems and other forms of art. The orca is the traveller and guardian of the sea. The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures.

A Vancouver Island marmot described as "small and friendly", Mukmuk acts as their "sidekick". He has a large appetite. His name comes from the Chinuk Wawa word "muckamuck," meaning "food" or "to eat". As of December 2008 he has joined the other mascots as a stuffed toy. The Vancouver Island marmot is an extremely rare and endangered species unique to the mountains of Vancouver Island.

Reception

Popularity

Mukmuk, although a designated "sidekick", was a run-away success, "capturing the hearts of Games-goers everywhere"; including an impromptu "protest" at the Vancouver Art Gallery to make him a full-fledged mascot, and making "Top 5" for the Olympic games in the Vancouver edition of 24 Hours.[18]

Criticism and image confusion

When the mascots were unveiled, there were initial concerns over whether they were effective at representing British Columbia and Canada.[11]

On July 3, 2009, Canadian artist Michael R. Barrick created two composite images – one based on the official art, and the other based on a fan art created by Angela Melick[19] – depicting the official mascots alongside Pedobear, an internet meme popularized by the imageboard4chan. The images were created to make "a visual critique of how the style of the mascots resembles the style of Pedobear."[20] As a result of the images receiving high rankings on Google Images, this image was mistakenly used by other media. The Polish newspaper Gazeta Olsztyńska used one of the images for a front-page story about the then-upcoming Olympics, published on February 4, 2010.[21] Similarly, the Dutch television guide Avrobode[22] used one of the images.

After the games

In compliance with the strict orders of the International Olympic Committee which require that the mascots must not be animated or be worn again so that the raw material cannot be reused,[citation needed] 48 of the 61 life-sized mascot costumes were destroyed. Three full sets of costumes are kept in Canada, one full set has gone to the IOC in Switzerland, and one Sumi costume has gone to the International Paralympic Committee in Germany.[23]